title: Aptitude-treatment interaction effects in psychooncological interventions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine aptitude-treatment interaction (ATI) effects in cancer patients receiving psychooncological interventions (POIs).
  
  
  METHODS
  N=36 cancer patients were treated with POI. Hierarchical linear regression was used to test two interaction effects between patient baseline characteristics (aptitudes) and process analyses of therapy sessions (treatment) on change in mental health during POI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with high emotional distress did best when their therapy reduced arousal, and patients with lower emotional distress benefited most if therapists emphasized arousal induction. The interaction between the coping style of the patient (internalizing vs. externalizing) and the focus of the treatment (emotion vs. behavior) did not predict POI outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ATI effect of patient's distress and therapist's arousal induction/reduction may help therapists to make differential treatment decisions in POI. Tailoring treatments to cancer patients based on their personal characteristics may enhance the effectiveness of POI.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Services Aargau AG & Department of Psychology, University of Berne. Electronic address: niklaus.stulz@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Niklaus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stulz
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Services Aargau AG; Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM), University of Berne & Division of Oncology/Haematology, Cantonal Hospital Aarau.
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Künzler
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM), University of Berne.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Services Aargau AG.
authors.forename: Urs
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hepp
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001076:Aptitude; D001143:Arousal; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D011613:Psychotherapy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Aptitude–treatment interaction; Cancer; Outcome; Psychooncology; Psychotherapy